Featured image above shows BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua (from right), Bangsamoro Member of the Parliament (MP) Naguib G. Sinarimbo, and Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Assistant Secretary Jordan Bayam in hearing in Metro Manila on July 3, 2025. (Photo: SDN)
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COTABATO CITY (SDN) — Bangsamoro region interim Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua has announced the six lucky ministers whose courtesy resignations he did not accept.
Recall that Macacua, chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF-BIAF), and secretary general of the MILF’s political wing, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), called on ministers of the regional government, deputy ministers, and heads of agencies and offices to tender their courtesy resignations.
All the 15 ministers and those concerned submitted their resignations on or before June 30.
On Saturday, July 5, Macacua announced on his social media page the first batch of ministers he retained.
They are Ministers Akmad Brahim, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Ubaida Pacasem, Ministry of Finance, Budget and Management (MFBM); Minister Kadil Sinolinding, Ministry of Health (MOH): Minister Muslimen Sema, Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE); Minister Raissa Jajurie, Ministry of Social Work and Development (MSSD); and Acting Minister Jehan Usop, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).
The chief minister said assessment of the performance of the remaining ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of offices is still ongoing.
The BARMM has 15 primary ministries, among its governmental organs, agencies, offices.
It can be recalled the chief minister issued Memorandum Order (MO) No. 0074 earlier in June that asked for the unqualified courtesy resignations of the ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of offices and agencies of the Bangsamoro Government.
Macacua’s MO made plainly clear that it was “guided by clear criteria to determine competence, experience, overall physical fitness, and above all, adherence to the Moral Governance Agenda.”
So far, the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) has revealed the six lucky ministers mentioned above whose courtesy resignations the BARMM top executive has declined.
It means that of the ministers, nine remains in the process of assessment before their fates are decided by the Bangsamoro leadership.
“Careful deliberations are still ongoing for the remaining ministries and offices. In the meantime, the ministers and heads of offices not mentioned above are enjoined to continue performing their limited functions until final decisions are made regarding their respective courtesy resignations,” the Bangsamoro Government statement said.
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages — now eight new municipalities — that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. — EDD K. Usman (✓)